COLLEGE STATION — Texas A&M president R. Bowen Loftin kidded when asked for primary qualifications of the school's next athletic director. We think.

“Someone who walks on water,” Loftin said, chuckling.

That might be the only criterion Loftin doesn't want for the successor of Bill Byrne, who announced his retirement Tuesday after nearly 10 years as A&M's AD.

“We want a leader who can move us into the (Southeastern Conference), and throughout the entire range of sports that we compete in, make certain that we have the best coaches and best facilities and best circumstances for our student-athletes to be successful, both on and off the playing field,” Loftin said.

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“We want someone who can guide university decision-making as far as media relations in athletics are concerned, to make sure we maximize the visibility of Texas A&M,” Loftin added. “Not simply for athletics, but the entire university. Someone who really can take us forward into this new era for Texas A&M.”

The Aggies are exiting the Big 12 after 16 years and entering the SEC on July 1, and Loftin and A&M's board of regents wanted a fresh start at the top of athletics. Hence Byrne's retirement with more than a year remaining on his contract.

“This lets him go forward with his life and lets Texas A&M seek an extraordinary individual to replace him,” Loftin said.

A&M on Wednesday announced an 11-member search advisory committee along with firm Parker Executive Search that will help tab A&M's fifth AD since 1982 (following Jackie Sherrill, John David Crow, Wally Groff and Byrne).

The committee, co-chaired by regent Jim Wilson and A&M vice president for marketing and communications Jason Cook, includes a current coach (softball's Jo Evans) and two former A&M athletes (football's Terrence Murphy and basketball's Adaora Elonu).

The 66-year-old Byrne, who will stay on as a “special adviser” to Loftin through Aug. 31, said his successor has “four big projects” to hone in on in the coming years.

A&M has hired the architectural firm Populous to devise the blueprints for renovating or completely rebuilding Kyle, with construction set to start after the 2013 season. Byrne also said the softball stadium needs renovating and tennis needs an indoor complex. A&M has won the last six outdoor national titles in men's and women's track and field but has needed a new track stadium for years.

“We've won six national championships and can't even compete at home,” said Byrne, long a champion of building celebrated coach Pat Henry a state-of-the-art venue.

Even Byrne's critics recognized his emphasis on academics — 354 A&M student-athletes were recently recognized for posting a 3.0 or higher Grade Point Average in 2011 — and Byrne said that must be an emphasis of his successor, as well.

“We need to continue to take care of our student-athletes,” he said. “We have to recruit the kind of kids who can compete in the classroom at Texas A&M. It's hard (academically) here, and all of those kids you see in high school who carry briefcases, they go to school here. It's hard to compete in the classroom with those kids.

“We need to continue to give the kids an opportunity, and I'm proud we've done that.”